STEVE BRUCE admits the Newcastle United job could mark the end of his managerial career – and has revealed just how tough it was to be branded a “tactically inept cabbage head” during his time with the Magpies.

Bruce’s departure from St James’ Park was confirmed this morning, bringing an end to his two-and-a-half year spell in charge of the club.

The 60-year-old presided over his 1,000th game in management at the weekend, when Newcastle suffered a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham, but having been put through the emotional wringer during his time on Tyneside, he accepts his time in the dug-out could now be at an end.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Bruce said: “I think this might be my last job. It’s not just about me - it’s taken its toll on my whole family because they are all Geordies and I can’t ignore that. 

“They have been worried about me - especially my wife Jan. What an amazing woman she is, incredible, she’s just a fantastic woman, wife and mother and grandmother. She dealt with the death of my parents, hers have not been very well. And then she had me to worry about and what I’ve been going through the last couple of years.

“I can’t take her for granted, she has spent her whole life following me around from football club to football club and if I was to say to her tomorrow, ‘I’ve been offered a job in China, or anywhere’, she would say, 'Steve, is this right for you, do you want to do it?' And she’d back me again. 

“I’m 60 years old and I don’t know if I want to put her through it again. We’ve got a good life so, yeah, this will probably be me done as a manager - until I get a phone call from a chairman somewhere asking if I can give them a hand. Never say never, I’ve learnt that.”

Bruce has always coveted the Newcastle job, having been a childhood fan of the club who used to attend matches at St James’ Park with his father.

It is safe to say that things did not turn out as planned, with his relationship with the Newcastle fans having been fractious from the moment he was appointed.

A significant section of the Magpies support were hoping Rafael Benitez would remain as manager in the summer of 2019, and regarded Bruce’s appointment as a backward step.

He never managed to win those fans over, indeed, if anything, the public mood hardened against him as Newcastle battled against relegation for two seasons in a row, eventually finishing in mid-table on both occasions, and results and performances remained disappointingly poor.

Nevertheless, Bruce does not feel he got sufficient credit for some of the things he did achieve during his time with the Magpies, and is clearly hurt by the criticism that was hurled in his direction.

“I really have to thank all the people who have worked alongside me, because I can be demanding and I can be hard work - especially when I was younger,” he said. “When we get beat, I get very low, but when you are managing in the Premier League with Birmingham, Wigan, Hull, Sunderland you do get better at dealing with it. You have to.

“By the time I got to Newcastle, I thought I could handle everything thrown at me but it has been very, very tough. To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail, to read people constantly saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a stupid, tactically inept cabbage head or whatever. And it was from day one.

“When we were doing okay results wise, it was, ‘Yeah, but the style of football is rubbish’ or I was just ‘lucky.’ It was ridiculous and persistent, even when the results were good.

“The best one was to be told we were a relegation team in all but points - this was all in the first season. We finished 13th. It (the criticism and abuse) got even worse in the second year. We finished 12th, 17 points clear of the bottom three.

“I tried to enjoy it and, you know, I did. I’ve always enjoyed the fight, proving people wrong, but that’s all it ever seemed to be. A fight, a battle. It does take its toll because even when you win a game, you don’t feel like you are winning over the supporters.”

Bruce leaves almost a fortnight after Newcastle were taken over by a consortium comprising the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners group and the Reuben brothers.

Having completed their £305m buyout of Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s new owners have grand ambitions, and Bruce is hoping his former employers make some significant steps forward over the next few years.

“I wanted so badly to make it work,” he said. “I was so proud to be manager of Newcastle United, even in the dark times, I was determined to keep going and to keep this club in the Premier League.

“The takeover rumours were rumbling on in the background, but they would not have bought the club if it had been relegated. Everyone knew that.

“The only task I was given was to keep the club up. There wasn’t the money to overhaul the squad. Covid drained the club of money, there was virtually nothing to spend this summer, but I wouldn’t walk away from it. 

“People told me to quit and if it hadn’t been Newcastle… I refused to give up. I just felt who could come in who was going to be better equipped to keep them up again than me? 

"I’m really happy for the fans, the city, everyone associated with this great club. This takeover had to happen for the club to improve. It had to happen for Newcastle to have a chance to be the club we all think it should be.

“I did my best, I will leave it to other people to judge whether I did okay or not. I wish the new owners, the players, and fans nothing but the best. I’m excited about the club’s future. That is the most important thing.”